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Health & Fitness

Patriots' Zoltan Mesko helps promote New England Kids Triathlon

New England Patriots' Zoltan Mesko helped to promote the New England Kids Triathlon yesterday at the Attleboro YMCA summer camp in Norton, MA.

I’m excited to share a new project I’ve been helping promote this summer – the New England Kids Triathlon!  This kids-only tri event is geared towards children age 6 to 15, and has features like a closed bike/run course, a pool swim with a lifeguard, “celebrity big kids” who will be racing along with the children, and medals for everyone at the end!

Has your child ever been disappointed that they didn’t make a sports team?  Sometimes this disappointment can cause children to feel upset and negative about exercise and fitness.  Enter this kids triathlon, a program that allows children to tackle a fitness event that doesn’t require any time minimums or super athletic ability.  Instead, this triathlon is all about encouraging kids to stay active and participate in a fun activity where everyone is a winner. 

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to represent New England Kids Triathlon alongside New England Patriots player Zoltan Mesko to help promote this event at the Attleboro YMCA camp in Norton, MA.  In this “Introduction to Triathlon” program, the children learned about topics like the basic components of a triathlon, eating healthy, and the importance of staying active from myself and Mesko.  Mesko spoke about his own experiences growing up and playing sports.  He talked to the kids about fueling his body with healthy foods and promoted lots of fruits and veggies, carbohydrates for energy, and protein sources to create strong muscles.  Mesko also emphasized the importance of keeping the mind (as well as the body) in shape, and encouraged the children to read and perform well academically throughout the future.

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Children were encouraged to challenge themselves to complete the triathlon this summer – and I’d encourage you to chat with your kids about being involved in this!  The event will take place at MIT in Cambridge, MA on Sunday, July 22nd, 2012.  Just like a regular adult triathlon, the event will include swimming, biking, running, and the transitions between the different events.  The event will have two different distances depending on age.  Kids age 6-10 will do a 100 meter swim, 3 mile bike ride, and ½ mile run, while those in the 11-15 year age group will do a 200 meter swim, 6 mile bike ride, and 1 mile run.

Mesko will be one of the “celebrity big kids” at the kids triathlon this month where he’ll participate in the actual event - swimming, biking, and running along with the kids. 

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If you have children interested in participating, visit the New England Kids Triathlon website for registration info and details.  If you’re an adult, consider volunteering at the event.  They’ll need tons of volunteers to keep everything running smoothly and help cheer on the kiddos as they tackle this challenge.  It’s sure to be a rewarding day for kids competing and adult volunteers alike!

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